


People Writing Songs that Voices Never Share

by Marta_Ayanami



Series: 'Fools,' said I, "You do not know" [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Compliant, I love all three canon Shiros btw so of course am gonna write, Oneshot, after all we don't see everything do we, btw I love Voltron s 1 - s 6, can't wait to see last ones :D, headcanon: on voltron astral headheartsoulspace it's impossible to lie, let's say... offscreen... :D, no one spoil me for season 7 pls I haven't yet watched it I can't wait :D, so pls thnx, spoilers for seasons 1 - 6, srsly I can't wait
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:49:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23265721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marta_Ayanami/pseuds/Marta_Ayanami
Summary: "Stop!"The voice sounded like his own, Shiro thought. But not the way he heard it, but they way it was on recordings. The way others heard it. The way it must've sounded.He felt a pressure, as if somebody caught his hand and was holding him, pulling him by it, not letting him go. Not letting him go to Keith, Lance, Pidge, and others, not on this plane outside bodies, outside anything he's ever experienced.Ever? He did experience some strange things before. Shiro did. What was stranger than many of his experiences with the Black Lion, after all?***Shiro now sometimes wondered whether he always remembered all twenty several years of his life right from birth so clearly, but surely that was the case, probably for everyone, wasn't it? Must be.
Relationships: Keith & Kuron & Shiro (Voltron), Keith & Kuron (Voltron), Keith & Shiro (Voltron), Kuron & Black Lion (Voltron), Kuron & Lance (Voltron), Kuron & Shiro (Voltron), Kuron & Team Voltron, Kuron & Voltron Paladins, Kuron & others, Lance & Shiro (Voltron), Shiro & Black Lion (Voltron), Shiro & Voltron Paladins
Series: 'Fools,' said I, "You do not know" [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1676332
Kudos: 6





	People Writing Songs that Voices Never Share

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Somehow, I don't think I need to say which song lyrics this title comes from.

"Stop!"

Somebody cried that out. A stranger. An invisible one. There was a hint of purple light, maybe, but otherwise, quite invisible.

The voice sounded like his own, Shiro thought. And it sounded so full of concern for other Paladins, but, why would it? Naturally, the situation wasn't ideal, but... But why did the voice sound like Shiro's own, only, somehow, more? But not the way he heard it, but they way it was on recordings. The way others heard it. The way it must've sounded.

He felt a pressure, as if somebody caught his hand and was holding him, pulling him by it, not letting him go. Not letting him go to Keith (by the way, why was Keith calling? Keith wasn't even on this plane now. So, why? Or perpahps, he wasn't, and Shiro simply wanted to hear family. To hear little brother who was right now on another mission, with the Blade of Marmora, not on this astral plane at all) and others, not on this plane outside bodies, outside anything he's ever experienced.

Ever? He did experience some strange things before. Shiro did. What was stranger than many of his experiences with the Black Lion, after all?

And who was the voice who was not himself, anyway? Himself, in some way? His conscience, maybe?

Keith would probably laugh. Not unkindly, though. Keith once told him about his father a little. Keith's father... he wished he met the met. Kogane family members could laugh at other people, but certainly not maliciously, not ever, Shiro decided, based at what he heard back then. Heard? In this strange plane, suddenly, he wondered, did Keith... Keith Kogane... his little brother... ever really tell HIM? Or... SOMEONE ELSE?.... but... that's ridicoulous... Oh, and. And Pidge would be weirded out even more by how uncientific all of it was. Coran would maybe explain, yes, he should tell Coran later-

Hmm, Hunk would be worried, no need to worry him more. Coran would maybe explain something about weird Altean magic. Or the princess, Allura, would. And Keith would say - oh, no, let's not go there. If he could groan here, he would, just imagining what Keith would say. About Shiro having _this_ loud and weird of a conscience, apparently.

And Lance, Lance wouldn't judge, because Lance-

"Stop! You're not going to Keith, Lance, Hunk, Pidge, and Allura."

"But I am. We're all here. They're just further on, see? And they're calling me, so I'm going there," Shiro replied to... himself??

"No. They're not calling you. They're calling me."

Shiro frowned.

"How would you know?!" He suddenly screamed. Angrier than he ever felt. But why??

His other voice softened.

"I'm sorry. They're calling you, but, they're calling me. The truth is-"

"What???"

"The truth is - but, wait, don't you _know?_ I thought you were evil, but-"

_Evil??? Why would my 'conscience' or some, I don't know, maybe part of me, in this astral space, even say that???_

_Oh. They - other paladins - are calling me again. Especially-_

***

"Shiro!"

Keith was calling, he thought. Not from here, but from somewhere else. Or maybe he just wanted to hear that, and imagined that. Keith, his little Keith, his little brother.

*******

"Shiro!"

Now that he surely didn't imagine, Lance, and Pidge, and Hunk, and Allura, they were calling him, from a bit far away, but from exactly where they were, where they were supposed to be. He rightly should be with them right now, why wasn't he? They were all together when they began.

He tried to shake off the stranger who called him evil, who was definitely not Takashi Shirogane in any way or form, because, what would he have to have done to must call himself 'evil'? Something horrible, and, he'd _know of it._ He recalled doing no such thing, and so-

Having headaches wasn't evil. Slight irritation wasn't evil. Nightmares, nightmares weren't evil! Right????

He shook the stranger - definitely a stranger, and an invisible one at that - off, and went. For some reason he couldn't understand, he went not in the direction of Keith. Maybe... maybe he didn't want Keith to hear some stranger say things like 'Takashi Shirogane is evil', though maybe it wouldn't have happened, anyway.

So, naturally, he went in Lance's direction. But how far was it??? He was walking and walking and walking and still, Lance seemed nowhere in sight.

He felt tired.

The stranger caught his arm, not just his hand, this time, and spoke in his voice,

"Are you going to hurt them?"

"No!" Shiro exclaimed, with righteous indignation, as far as he was concerned. "What gives you the right to say that?! They're my family, all of them, even if I didn't know them for very long!"

Not long??? Wait... It hasn't been... not long... it was longer... it was... but...?

"How long?"

"What???"

"Listen. What's your name?"

"What?"

"My name is Takashi Shirogane. And you're - maybe you're not evil. You can call me Shiro. What. Is. Your. Name?"

"My name is Takashi Shirogane!"

"Listen, Takashi Shirogane... since you apparently can't make it less confusing for us both and choose another name... when is my little brother's birthday?"

_Keith's birthday? That's the easiest question ever._

So he replied, and told the stranger exactly.

"And when is... well, you know whose. I don't exactly want to talk right now about, but you know what I'm asking about, don't-"

He replied to that, too, cutting the question short.

"Alright... What is Keith's favourite colour?"

He replied.

"Mhm. Yes." the stranger said, sounding more and more worried, even though all the answers were right!

What did the stranger on the astral plane even want???!!

Suddenly, the stranger said, "You believe you're a Paladin of Voltron, do you?"

"Yes. No, I don't just believe I'm a Paladin, I **_am_** a Paladin! I'd do anything to protect--"

"The universe?" the stranger asked. "Some Galra, and I don't mean the bloodthirsty ones, believe that the need of the many outweigh the need of the few. Do you? Believe that? You come from the Galra, after all. You might as well be a Galra."

Wait, what?

Suddenly, a headache. Why, here, on this astral plane? Did he even _have_ a head to hurt, here?? And he thought he saw Haggar, but then, the stranger pulled at his arm, forcefully, that invisible stranger, and for a few seconds, the sudden image of Haggar - far, far, far, far away Haggar - disappeared.

"Nevermind. Huh, you don't know what you are, now, do you? Maybe I was wrong about you. You can't be evil if you don't know to-"

At stranger's, invisible stranger's with surely not his own voice, words, Shiro shook his head.

"You were asking me a question, stranger! Finish asking!"

"Which one? Ah. Oh, sorry. Sorry. You're right. I was asking what you'd sacrifice for the universe."

"Myself!"

"Alright. And?"

"And what and?"

"Would you sacrifice somebody else?"

The pitch blackness all around didn't help with sudden anxiety.

"What??"

And with sudden headaches. But, wait, everyone was still calling him! They'd worry. Keith would worry! And everyone. So Shiro made a step, trying to shake off the invisible stranger, to finally go to his whole family on this astral plane, especially to his dear little brother, Keith. To him, because he constantly caused him worries now, and that wasn't fair-

"I asked you!" Strange said, sharply. " 'Shiro!' "

"Yes, but who are you, again?? And what where you asking about? If I'd sacrifice somebody else? No, unless you're saying, that if some soldier - wanted to fight - well then, what'd give me the right to stop them?!"

"In other words, if, say... if _Keith_ were to, say, tomorrow, die, that'd be alright? And, if, perhaps, you killed him, even though I know now that you're not _planning_ to kill my little brother, but what if-"

" _My little brother, Keith is MY little brother,_ and if it's anybody, Galra, or Zarkon, or Haggar, or Altea, or Earth, or you, whoever you are, or me, they'd have to go over my dead body!"

Stranger released his arm. And suddenly, nodded, and tentatively smiled. "Go to them. They're calling, and I'm not certain if they'd even see _me,_ because I'm not all here. So, go to them. I don't think you're planning to harm them. I can see that now. Unless you're lying, but, I don't think so. You think you're me. You truly think so. That's horrible."

"What?"

"Must be painful."

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

"Go. I can let you talk to them. Even to my little brother. Just after I talk to them myself. I'm going, now. Follow me. Go. Don't look back, don't stop even if you see that awful witch. Go. Follow me. If you're not evil. Alright? Patience yields focus. And I can have more than one little brother. Only Lance can hear me, right now. Keith would, I know he would, but he's elsewhere. Lance miiiiight hear me if he tries. Amazing guy, too hard on himself sometimes."

"Yeah!" Shiro agreed, suddenly a little guilty. He had snapped at Lance, but why? That wasn't like him. A small headache was no excuse.

"Follow me to him, in a second..." the familiar voiced invisible weirdest stranger uttered, with difficulty, as if the known stranger had no air in his lungs, maybe, "er, in a tick, I don't know, you're not really from Earth, no matter what you remember. Still, follow me soon, to Lance, if you aren't evil, and maybe you're not. Then he'll see you're not Shiro, I am, but you can tell him who YOU are. No hard feelings, huh? Just be patient. Follow me. Don't let any witches stop you. Maybe cut that arm off, yours, I mean - because it's your responsibility. If you won't, who will? It's a burden. You don't want to hurt my...our family...you said so. Right? Just be patient here."

The stranger, invisible, went.

So after a few ticks, Shiro went, too. Into further darkness of this place. Not held by an arm anymore. The invisible stranger with his own voice retreated. Or perhaps went to others?

******

Shiro walked, and walked, and walked. How long? What will Keith say, and Lance, and Allura, and everyone, about him taking so long to rejoin the team in this place? And just _who_ was the invisible stranger who said such disgusting things - implied that he - he, himself - would ever on purpose cause pain to his little brother? Because Keith was like a little brother to him, even if Keith surely tried not to think so, having had enough of pain when it came to family.

Shiro walked and walked. And suddenly, a headache. Again. And something pulled at his arm. No, not the invisible not-him stranger, no. Compared to this pull, the invisible-not-him-stranger was very, very gentle. Somehow. No, this pull was-

Like teeth, and-

And then, darkness, and then -

he heard the stranger talking to Lance, and for a split second, he thought, somewhere deep that he couldn't understand, that Lance should listen to the stranger, because the stranger, he, he felt, the stranger, whoever he was, somehow, surely, cared for Keith, cared for Lance, cared for Katie, Pidge, cared for Hunk, cared for Allura, for Coran, for-- for Lotor, maybe not, the stranger never met Lotor, maybe, nor the witch Haggar, but-

wait

why

where

how

Haggar? Why was he suddenly thinking of Haggar?

Lions had teeth.

And bit.

But here, on this plane, he-- Felt as if the Black suddenly wanted to bite his arm clear off, as if that was somehow necessary, and for a split second, well, if Black wanted that, well, he trusted Black, and so, he wanted that, too.... evil? Was the arm evil? Arms couldn't be evil. Only people could be, if they were trying. Not if they weren't. Shiro wasn't planning on doing anything evil, far from that, but-- Lions had teeth, but, his Lion, he trusted, but what if... what if it was never his... no, why... why would he think that, even if that were to be true, even for a split second...

Where

who

Suddenly, he saw Haggar. The Lion stopped biting, it retreated. Haggar came. Shiro trembled. He trembled. He shuddered. He suddenly wanted to call to the stranger with his voice, ask him for help, so he called. But he stopped. And the stranger was busy far away on same plane trying to tell Lance something. But... He, Shiro... He shouldn't stop (was that evil? was he evil for stopping because the witch stopped him? Maybe the stranger was right?? But where was the stranger? Ah, yes, talkig to Lance. Helping Lance, perhaps... should he call for Shi--- for stranger? for help? No, helping Lance was surely more important that helping him, because---)

*********

He stopped, but, should he, he wanted NOT to stop, if not stopping meant not being evil, but he stopped, no, his arm stopped, so, he stopped, because, well, how else....

He stopped. Shiro-

Wait. Shiro? He was Shiro, but... was he Shiro? Who was the other?

He was a Paladin, the other wasn't. Was he? Was he???

*******

Keith, Lance, Allura, everyone, stopped calling. He felt their relief that he came. No, that the stranger came? Who was the stranger? Was the stranger him, or was he the stranger, or was somebody else?

******

Yes, Haggar, suddenly, he saw Haggar, and Haggar touched his forehead, and there was pain, blinding, and he screamed, he screamed more than he screamed on Galra's spaceship back then, as the pain was much greater, and, and, and the rest was darkness, deeper one.

***************************************************

Did something happened? Did he meet some stranger? Was there an astral plane? He couldn't remember. Pitch dark, pitch dark, pitch dark....

*****************

But he was back in relity now. But what happened? Why couldn't he remember, if all other Paladins remembered? Especially the Red Paladin - his little brother. And also-

********************

Lance asked if he remembered, later. Lance said he said to listen. Who said to listen? He did? When? Why? Listen to what? He couldn't remember.

He told Lance as much. Lance looked a bit worried, and that, coupled with sudden horrible headache, and sudden unexplained image of Haggar - why couldn't she keep to nightmares, could nightmares become daydreams??? - worried Shiro as well.

Pitch dark, pitch black...

Suddenly, he almost remembered asking himself if he was evil. Or did somebody else ask him that? He couldn't tell Lance. Lance could tell Keith if he heard. And what would Keith think?

What happened near the essences of the Lion? Honestly, what did? Nothing he could remember.

Not anymore. He later dreamt of teeth that night, as a break from usual faint Haggar nightmare and dead own body nightmare, a wrlcome break, but no memory of that spiritual plane came back. None!

Pitch dark. That was the only memory of those moments left. Left? Was something stolen? What was? When?

Lance wanted to help. That was very kind of him. Lance was a good friend. Almost family. But how would one sew a hole, with no idea where the hole was, and if it existed?

Shiro tries to remember if there is something he doesn't remember. Suddenly he remembers saying goodbye to Keith before the Kerberos mission, remembers it exactly, as always, all Shiro's precious memories are exact, all as exact as precise as if it happened yesterday, there's nothing he can't remember, he remembers every word Keith ever said to him for years as if it was yesterday. And every word Iverson ever said, though he could live without that, in such exact detail. And Matt, and Lance, and Princess Allura, and Hunk, and Pidge, and Coran, and everyone, in space, and all friends and loved ones on Earth. Family, friends, others... did his memory get better? Or was it normal to remember that way, everything for all the years exactly, all the years, all the way to birth? Surely it was just normal. Why... otherwise...

Without trying, Shiro, he remembers the name of the boy Keith fought. And later Keith apologised for messing up, he remembers.

He decides to later ask Keith if that memory is real. It is, isn't it? And another memory, memory of him throwing Keith a birthday party, small one, loved ones only, that memory is true, too, even if strangely sharpened into focus like all memories of precious little brother.

Should memories always be so vivid, and as sharp as glass, making one's thoughts bleed if thoughts could bleed, irritatingly, while being purple, black, and white???

Possibly!

Should he ask, someday, Keith... no, that would be selfish, and wasn't Keith already overworked and so

So annoying

So annoying and obstacle in

No

What

How come such thoughts came with infernal headaches. Family was precious, no matter how annoying. Keith is precious. Forever. If somebody-

*****

_Over my dead body-_

_*******_

_Who said that?_

_*******_

_Who said what? I remembered something, but, yet another headache.... erased... I think I thought....'Keith'.... and then what????_

Shiro thought, desperately trying to remember something, as if Keith's wellbeing depended on it. His precious brother's. There was a stranger, but he was good, and he implied, that, that, that he, not the stranger familiar stranger invisible, but that he, Shiro, might hurt Keith and Lance and Pidge and Hunk and the princess and everyone, and Keith!!

*****

He lost the train of thought, and then, unbeknowest to him, forgot last five minutes, in yet another headache, sharp, like glass.

Still, astral plane, as he told Lance, Shiro still, no matter what, couldn't remember, oh, maybe he would if Keith was there, but he wasn't in that plane, unfortunately, so...

But Lance heard him? Or didn't? To be not heard, he, or someone, had to be there.

He had to be there, seeing as Lance had heard his voice.

Still, no memory of that returned.

Only...

Pitch black...

Suddenly another memory comes unbidden. It is, unlike others, fuzzy. Even though it wasn't long ago at all.

The Black Lion, at first, not accepting him. He was surprised. And Keith was surprised, so it wasn't the Red Paladin sabotaging hi--

What. Wait. Keith would never _sabotage_ him, the very thought was ridiculous, Keith loved him as much as he loved Keith, they were brothers, and Keith was amazing! Doing him proud.

******

Another headache. What was he thinking about, again, a tic ago? Oh, that's right. How amazing the Red Paladin, his little bro, was, nothing else.

He grinned and wondered if Coran knew some head and arm massages. There was an almost constant pain in his head and arm.

But it was nothing, really. Nothing compared to the joy of being reunited with precious family and friends.

Wait, but what happened on that strange plane?

Oh, he remembers now. Nothing. Somehow, he was never there. Possibly because of that weird infernal headache. Right? Everyone was there, save for him.

Yes. Wasn't there. Only on his way there, but not there. All went dark. Nothing else..

Of course he remembers what Keith's favourite colour is. Hm? Must be tired, he is getting distracted. That's not what he's trying to remember. Unless there's a connection?

Great, another headache. What was he pondering, again?

He trwmbles slightly. For a split second, he thought he saw the evil, evil, evil witch Haggar.

But it was fuzzy. Unlike all his clear memories, all the way down. So... a hallucination...?

Whew. Good.

Memory... what was he trying to remember, and what for? All impor3memories are accounted for.

Especially of Keith.

******

Lions... lions are important, but, that spiritual plane...maybe not worth increasing headaches and hallucinations of evil witches.

*****

There was something. The memory is too fuzzy to be real, but it was in... in pitch black darkness, glowing, invisible, familiar, strange.

It's not him.

What? 

****

Whatever, memory got even fuzzier. Just a headache.

*****

All that left of surely not a memory, that one, is being lost, alone, in a lonely astral plane that was pitch black.

Never again. Because if he was lost, who would find him? Not Keith, not in some imaginary nonexistent place where imaginary Haggar seemed to rule, he wouldn't put his kid brother in such a danger, even imaginary hallucinated danger, no, never.

****

Not ever in that place. Pitch dark.

***

Another headache. What was he thinking about? Right, Keith, first meeting Keith and so on. So unruly.

Oh. He wasn't having a headache right now. Hah, a miracle. Really.

Whatever else he was thinking about... did it matter?

****

Where the lion didn't go for the throat. In that pitch-darkness.

****

Lion? When? He imagined something. That was all. How could he see anything in that dimension, when he didn't go into it - or didn't remember it? No, he was there, he had Lance's word for that. He was there and... what?

No one knew. Strange.

*********

Someday, maybe he'd remember? He hoped so. Lance would be happy. And others, if they also heard something. Heard what, he had no idea. He didn't want to worry them. His family.

**********

It was just hard to find out things when one has a headache. That's not something particularly worrisome. Surely there'd be time for that, later, after everything more important. He didn't want to worry his team - his some kind of a Family. Why should he?

If there was anything dangerous to remember, he'd remember, as his memory was strangely perfect, it seemed. Never noticed it before, but it was, he often would remember things from the past, now, , silently reminisce, like pressing play on a high definition all senses involved movie in own mind, but not, because this was all his own memory, in utterly perfect detail, and he knew it was his own, as it couldn't be anyone else's, the more detailed the more important to him the people in those memories were.

It was nice. And let him forget any headaches. Memories were a wonderful thing. But even better was the time he had now with his family. Somehow, no matter how easy or difficult, it felt more personal than most personal memories. It was great. And he owed it all to his family for saving him yet again. No matter what.

He'd have done the same for them, he felt sure. And about the black void in lion, and if he was there or not? He could ask Lance later, and make certain to make clear that it wasn't about Lance, but about himself, and about all other Paladins, and then, surely, with Lance's help, everything'll become clear. _Lance won't let Pidge, Hunk, Allura, Keith, Coran, and me down, if something's wrong, or was in that moment, he'll tell me, he was there.  
_

_Keith wasn't there, so I won't ask him, too much explaining for some worry over probably not much, really, just imagination._

That was a surprisingly calming thought. For now, Shiro put this memory (if something is forgotten, is it a memory? What?) behind him, to focus or more important things. That moment, whether it happened or not, if it was important - well, he just put his trust in Lance when it came to that, and stopped pursuing the thoughts of it, and headaches, for now.

There were too many more imporant things to do. There was no time for some strange attempts of self-discovery when there wasn't anything to discover there, most likely. If he really ever behaved strangely back in that moment he couldn't remember or didn't witness, Lance would tell him. And if it happens again later, Keith will, or Allura with all her abilities, or others. That's why he was probably worrying over nothing. He should just trust his team, his family, more, and not blow one strange feelings out of proportions.

Because he did trust them. Will trust them. And so, for a moment, realising that, not just in memories, but in the present, Shiro felt safe. Protected, from whatever weird feeling that was only really imaginary, come to think of it. Felt safe again, now. For a moment.

If the Black Lion trusted him, besides, then why shouldn't he trust himself? And if the others did? His sort of a weird family? Enough worrying. If Keith was right here right now, wouldn't he agree on that, too? That Shiro could feel safe for a moment? Shiro felt he would. And others, too. Everyone. If they trusted him, that must mean they were right, and he must trust himself, too, and just somehow deal with all the headaches. He would trust himself. As long as they did. That's how it should be, shouldn't it? In a team. In a family. What else could possibly matter?

****

_The connection._

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: On astral plane deep in the fivelionsconnectionwithfivepaladins (that's a word now ;) XD) why does clone of Shiro thinks Shiro is a stranger when hearing him? Well, imagine suddenly hearing yourself but outside... while not thinking you're crazy (at least for a moment). And knowing you don't have a twin brother. And not knowing anyone with a voice that sounds like yours from the outside. In other words, a stranger, or...
> 
> Well, different people would react differently. XD
> 
> Besides... in some definitions... a stranger = a person that one's never met in person before. For example, imagine watching a movie for a thousand times. If you haven't ever talked to actors in it, they're still total strangers.


End file.
